


Simple

by Elevensquared



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, angsty fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 03:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5318900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elevensquared/pseuds/Elevensquared
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the prompt: "I love you. You know that, don't you?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Simple

"I love you. You know that, don't you?"

__________________________________

Kakashi is facing away from Iruka and he’s not sure if he’s grateful or if it makes him a coward - that Iruka knows him well enough to give him that. Moonlight streams in through the window to pool across Kakashi’s arms and torso on the bed. Iruka is pressed close behind him, an arm wrapped over Kakashi’s chest. Kakashi watches Iruka’s darker skin in the silvery light, his fingers tracing patterns on Kakashi’s forearm.

Iruka is quiet behind him, breath soft against the back of Kakashi’s neck. Giving him time to answer? Letting him avoid answering? The silence has already stretched past the point where any answer he could give would be simple. Now Iruka is waiting only to hear how Kakashi is going to further complicate his life.

He knows he’s not easy to be around. He’d tried before, forging connections. They all ended. Kakashi could recall their words of exasperation, anger, disappointment, or - worst of all - fear.

None of them had dared to say to Kakashi what Iruka has. They never made it that far, or perhaps never would have felt that way.

Iruka has been exasperated with Kakashi, too - sighing in frustration and pushing him away, telling Kakashi to leave him alone until he’s done with his work. But he always makes it up to him after, in extra kisses, the slow tease of fingers and tongue, making it worth Kakashi’s wait.

He thinks about Iruka yelling at him - many times - always yelling about what an idiot Kakashi is, that he needs to take better care of himself, stop doing stupid things that will get himself injured or make him sick. Iruka never yells at him unless Kakashi has done something to hurt himself.

Iruka has also been disappointed. His disappointment is like a kunai in Kakashi’s gut. When he sees Iruka’s expressive eyes shutter and his features go blank, Kakashi mentally scrambles, captures Iruka’s wrist, back-tracks, tries to find the cause and eradicate it at all costs.

And… Iruka has been afraid, too. Standing in front of Kakashi while blood dripped from Kakashi’s fingers. Afraid and defiant, unwilling to move. When Kakashi refused to reach for him, Iruka stepped forward and raised a trembling hand to Kakashi’s face. And Kakashi dropped to his knees, Iruka following, arms wrapping around Kakashi, protecting him, sheltering him, hiding him.

Iruka’s arm rises and falls with the breath that expands Kakashi’s rib cage. His fingers have stopped moving on Kakashi’s arm. Kakashi grips Iruka’s arm and squeezes, says, “Iruka.” The soft, content hum behind him tells him Iruka is listening and Kakashi says, “Iruka… I love you.”

Iruka’s arm tightens around him marginally and a kiss is pressed to the back of his neck. Iruka says, “I’m glad,” and Kakashi frowns. It’s insane. It’s not enough. Iruka doesn’t understand, Kakashi didn’t say it right, there’s lightning sparking under his skin and he pulls himself roughly from Iruka’s embrace to turn around and push Iruka’s shoulder to the bed, leaning over him.

“Iruka. You don’t understand.” His voice doesn’t sound quite right. “I love you.” He tries to impart, with emphasis, the feeling that’s crashing through his body, the adrenaline, the fear, the need for Iruka to get it.

Iruka smiles, sleepy, and says “I heard you the first time.”

Kakashi’s hands grip Iruka’s shoulders and he shakes them, just a little, and snaps, “Stop that. Stop acting like it’s not a big deal! Stop. Just– god…” Kakashi’s voice trails off and he looks away, his fingers releasing Iruka’s shoulders.

“Hey,” Iruka says, and when Kakashi looks at him, he looks worried. Iruka reaches a hand to Kakashi’s face and says, “It’s okay, come here.” Kakashi lets Iruka pull him down, wraps his arms around Iruka tightly, pushes his face against Iruka’s neck as Iruka’s fingers card through his hair, slip over his back. “I get it,” Iruka says quietly. “It’s okay, I get it… I love you too.”

Kakashi heaves a sigh and Iruka presses a kiss to his temple.

“It can be easy, too, you know.” Iruka’s voice is soothing, still low with sleep, and his fingers are once again tracing patterns on Kakashi’s skin, across his shoulder blades, over his spine. “I’m not saying that it’s not overwhelming, or intense, but it doesn’t always have to be just those things. It can be simple, too.” Iruka lifts Kakashi’s hand, “Like this,” he presses a kiss to Kakashi’s fingertips and says “I love you.”

Kakashi lifts his head to look at Iruka, who is smiling.

Iruka pulls Kakashi down to press a light kiss to his cheek and say again, “I love you.”

Kakashi frowns and says, “Are you teasing me?”

“No!” Iruka’s voice is serious, and he holds Kakashi’s face between his hands to lock their gazes. “No, not about this. Never about this.” He moves under Kakashi and suddenly they’re pressed together, Kakashi’s thigh against Iruka’s pelvis, and Iruka gasps and pulls Kakashi’s lips to his own and whispers low, “Kakashi… I love you.”

Kakashi blinks slow, raking his gaze over Iruka, and says “That’s not simple.” He flexes his thigh into Iruka and Iruka pushes forward, kissing him, arms around him, moving against him.

When they break apart, Iruka says, “It can be.”

And he’s right - it is simple, the way Iruka moves, tugging him into a kiss, the tight press of Iruka around him, the sounds he makes beneath Kakashi.

Afterward, Kakashi kisses Iruka again, light, simple, and says, “I love you.”

Iruka smiles and says, “I love you, too.”


End file.
